Essay on Integration of Theology and Psychology in Counseling Practices

Introduction

The modern world is more interested than ever to find out what psychology means to mankind. Psychology applies to issues affecting the mind and the behavior of human beings (Hawkins & Clinton, 2015). However, Christians find it necessary to apply knowledge from the Bible to every problem that they face because God is the creator of the mind and the one who understands human behavior the best. This is why it is important to integrate both theology and psychology in human counseling. I feel that with the integration of theology and psychology, clients can feel satisfied with the help that counselors provide to them.

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We can encourage our clients to practice humility in everything that they do. Humility is an aspect that is important from both the theological and psychological perspectives. Counseling teaches us to strive to be people with a high level of humility and self-awareness. At the same time, the book of Romans teaches us that we have fallen short of God's glory because we have sinned at one point in our lives (Bible, 2015). It is very difficult for any single person to perfect their understanding of life. That is why as counselors we encourage our clients to strive to avoid the pressure of trying to live like other people. They should know who they are and what their limits are in life. We need to make them understand that even as counselors we struggle in one way or the other with our lives.

We can also apply both theology and psychology in solving the problems of life by seeking a real-life validation of whatever the Bible says (Hawkins & Clinton, 2015). This involves collaboration between psychology and theology. The Bible cannot be the solution to the problems we face in life at all times. Sometimes we find it difficult to relate the teachings of the Bible to our problems. However, through an understanding of both the theological and psychological perspectives, we find that we can easily see the pathway to the solution we seek in life (Watts, 2018). When dealing with a psychological problem in life, we also need to understand what the Bible says about the problem we face. Also, it is clear that some problems cannot simply vanish by praying over them, God helps those who make an effort to help themselves. Therefore, as much as we depend on the Bible to solve our problems, we must also seek psychological intervention.

We should always seek Biblical foundations in offering psychological help to our clients. The Bible proclaims that we were created in God's image (Bible, 2015). This means that we are capable of learning and understanding the truths of life and to determine the right directions to take in life. It would have been impossible for modern science to advance to search heights without seeking help from the Bible in understanding certain concepts of life. The Bible states that in the beginning, the earth was empty and formless. God started the creation process by commanding "Let there be light" (Bible, 2015). Without the story of creation, scientists would not have attempted to come up with alternative theories on how the earth was formed. In the same manner, psychology should have its foundations in the Bible in attempting to give meaning to life and solve life's problems.

Conclusion

Overall, the most important aspect of psychology is to make a positive impact in the client's life. This can be achieved by integrating theology and psychology in counseling practices. Both aspects encourage humility in dealing with life's problems. Also, integration means that each aspect should validation from the other instead of depending wholly on one. Lastly, there should always be a Biblical foundation for dealing with life's issues because God is the creator of the human mind. Therefore, I feel that integrating the two aspects can only lead to advancement in modern psychology because of the benefits that it offers.

References

Bible, B. (2015). The Holy Bible The Authorized King James Version. Century Publishing.

Hawkins, R., & Clinton, T. (2015). The New Christian Counselor: A Fresh Biblical and Transformational Approach. Harvest House Publishers.

Watts, F. N. (2018). Theology and psychology. Routledge.